Project Ookii Ao: Road to 500whp

Piratetip

Far From Maddening Crowds
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Super Moderator
Dec 30, 2005
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MKE, WI
Haha nice.

Man if I had time to make a little video for every fix I have done...
Could write a video equivalent of a novel.
 

suprarx7nut

YotaMD.com author
Nov 10, 2006
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Arizona
www.supramania.com
Haha nice.

Man if I had time to make a little video for every fix I have done...
Could write a video equivalent of a novel.

Yeah, filming is the easy part. It's the editing that I can never get to. I've probably got dozens of hours of footage I'll never edit to make a worthwhile video. I've got AC service footage, T-belt, Intake refurb, valve shim adjustment, etc... What has been really nice though, is that on multiple occasions I've gone back to review video to find where I put that damn bolt or gasket or small part.

Anyways, UPDATE!
[video=youtube;YYeoaWjX96A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYeoaWjX96A[/video]

You have to know where you are to know where you're going. The car had its BIC downpipe removed for emissions recently and I kept it in its stock form until I could dyno it. Results were about what I expected, but there were a few surprises.

Power: 179 whp @ 5411 rpm
Torque: 207 ft-lbs @ 3400 rpm
AFRs: 13:1 @ 3500 rpm
10.0:1 @ 5411 rpm
Boost: 6 psi falling to 4.5 psi

The boost dropoff wasn't something I expected. I can feel the car doesn't have the top end that my last mk3 had, but I've never stared at the boost gauge during a redline pull to actually see boost dropping so significantly. Simply adding an electronic boost controller might steady boost at the manifold. The CT26 should be more than capable - even in stock form - to hold boost pressures up to 12+psi up to redline.

AFRs were surprisingly lean near peak boost, but I'm skeptical of the accuracy of the clip-on-muffler AFR sensor used during the runs. I'll get a real wideband plumbed in at some point - hopefully before the next dyno.

Next Steps:

  • Exhaust is already installed. 3in turbo back. BIC divorced, recirc'd downpipe; 3" hi-flow, metallic cat; Tanabe Hyper Medallion Touring - Video coming up next
  • Engine Build?
  • Standalone?
  • Interior Touch-up?
  • Body Work/Paint?

I feel like the engine build is probably the most universally useful. I've got some leaks still and the current engine is a big question mark as I haven't had it open. I've got some parts on hand, but will need more, certainly. My current Probe pistons I'm debating selling to fund some higher CP pistons to boost my mid-range torque. I want to have the most linear power band possible and I think bumping pistons to 9:1 or higher would go along ways in doing that. I've got a lift in the garage now so doing a winter build seems almost like a requirement, haha.

What do you guys think? What's the next step towards a 500 whp build?!
 

xCxHxRxIxSx

Member
Mar 4, 2011
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Oakville, Ontario
Nice build thread! I like the videos too. I'd say the next step in your quest for 500hp would be to build the engine with forged internals, oiling etc. you need a solid foundation to build from and have confidence in. Best of luck!
 

suprarx7nut

YotaMD.com author
Nov 10, 2006
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www.supramania.com
Hey I love that volt meter and was wondering if you had some to sale? Also where is it reading from under dash harness? Plug in or spliced?

For sale here: http://yotamd.com/products/index.html

I think I have all the parts in stock, but I can verify if lead time is important to you.

You can wire it up any way you like, but I provide some quick'n'easy T-taps to clamp onto the cigarette lighter power wires. If it's just a reference that method has worked well for me. If you're more concerned about accuracy you could route it however you like with a more secure crimp connection.
 

supposedbigfoot

New Member
Nov 29, 2013
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conyers ga
For sale here: http://yotamd.com/products/index.html

I think I have all the parts in stock, but I can verify if lead time is important to you.

You can wire it up any way you like, but I provide some quick'n'easy T-taps to clamp onto the cigarette lighter power wires. If it's just a reference that method has worked well for me. If you're more concerned about accuracy you could route it however you like with a more secure crimp connection.

Thanks just put a order in and no lead time is not important as long as its reasonable.
 

suprarx7nut

YotaMD.com author
Nov 10, 2006
3,811
1
38
Arizona
www.supramania.com
[video=youtube;kjVemFRyVS8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjVemFRyVS8[/video]

Part 8! Exterior Overview. I'm going to try to get the exterior completed first. Here's my rationale:

1. Exterior in perfect or near perfect shape adds more sell-able value to the car in case I don't finish this project. Sad thought, but pragmatic. Engine build is fun, but expensive and hard to recoup later on, unless it's in an excellent chassis.
2. I need to do some work on my wife's car, body-wise, so I'll be practicing painting skills and techniques this winter/spring regardless. Might as well go all in with the paint work this season.
3. A pristine exterior is extremely satisfying for me. In my 10+ years of various mk3 ownership I've never had an 8/10 or 9/10 exterior. The car spends a lot of time on top of the lift in my garage, hovering over my daily Land Cruiser and having some good eye candy in the garage is worth something.

I installed the exhaust, but I've got lights coming for the lift that will better show it off so that video is on hold.

For exterior mods, I'm planning a Kaminari carbon wing, a 2 hole front lip ducted to provide brake cooling and possibly spec B side skirts and rear addons. I also plan on the turbo A vent in the new bumper. More air flow, why not? The carbon wing would remain unpainted.

The front lip is something I really want from an aesthetic and performance standpoint, but goddamn if I don't already scrape the factory lip every single time I pull out of my driveway - even at a 45 degree angle. I'm not sure what to do there. I discovered "air cup" lift systems recently and am debating that as a solution. I hate the idea of adding a tank and compressor, but maybe that's what's needed to have a mildly lowered mk3 with my driveway.

I'll be trying my hand at some PDR soon. I have a few dents on the fenders and elsewhere that would be great to fix without a repaint.

I need to setup a paint booth in my garage and that's likely one of the next steps. I'll be using the 4 post lift uprights as the starting frame for the booth, and adding some wings to pull the walls a bit beyond the footprint of the lift. That should provide the needed space to walk around the car. I tested out a quick spray of clear on a project for my wife. I used a TINY amount of clear and without the doors open in my garage it was a cloud of noxious fumes in no time. It was a great example of the importance of a good booth. Of course, I was protected with sealed goggles and a respirator, but I still worry about fumes getting into the house and creating an explosive atmosphere since I've got the compressor and a gas heater in the garage.